Evaluation of the USAID-Kosovo SME and Agriculture - Economic ...

Development Associates, Inc.KOSOVO ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (KAP)SMALL FARM SUPPORT PROGRAMSAVE THE CHILDREN FOUNDATION UMBRELLA GRANTBACKGROUNDSave the Children (SC) manages a portfolio of 18 NGO projects and five special initiatives thatsupport grassroots social and economic development. This portfolio is under the USAID KosovoAssistance Program (KAP) that is supporting the transition to a democratic society and a freemarket economy. The objective is to engage communities in activities that promote changes intheir circumstances and increased responsibilities as citizens. The five special initiatives arebeing implemented through the Small Farm Support (SFS) program with five sub-grants foragricultural projects to address development issues in several agriculture sub-sectors, includingdairy products, meat production, poultry, grains and edible oilseed-based industries, fruit andvegetable production, and in specialty products. These five sub-grants are valued at $3.8m andsupport the sustainable adoption of improved, appropriate and productive technologies byagricultural producers. The objective of the SFS is to improve farm production so that thequantity and quality of produce moving to markets and processing factories is increased.Increased and improved technologies and inputs are to be utilized in working with participatingfarmers. The supporting mechanism for this effort was the USAID supported Kosovo BusinessService (KBS) activity, through its’ client base of agribusiness clients. Access to the processingmarketingchain was to facilitate the product to market emphasis of the projects under the SFSprogram.SC serves as the coordinator of the SFS program, working in close collaboration with the fiveimplementing grantees. These grantees include CARE (dairy products), IRC (fruit production),LOL (sheep production), CECI (vegetable production), and IFDC (feed for poultry – maizesoybean and sunflower). SC’s task was to assist these grantees in rapid start-up andimplementation of activities, given that the time frame for completion of their individualobjectives was limited to 18-20 months. SC provided assistance in the initial assessments of thesub-sectors and in setting targets that were deemed achievable within the project time frame. Inits’ role as program coordinator, SC initiated regular meetings with the implementing grantees,that have continued through the time of this evaluation. Field visits and participation in selectedproject organized workshops enables SC staff to remain knowledgeable about project activities,progress and problems.SC coordinated the initial meetings with KBS for the cooperation between producers andagribusiness clients to serve as markets for participating farmers produce. The particular case forthis cooperation involved the fruit and vegetable producers and the PROGRES ProcessingFactory. This is described in more detail in the text of the IRC and CECI sections of theevaluation, but in summary this marketing link has not been successful for a variety of reasons,including the business problems that PROGRES is experiencing and the fact the KBSdiscontinued its’ working relationship with PROGRES. Nevertheless, SC seems committed toworking with the grantees to seek and encourage other possible production-marketing links forthe production of participating farmers.Evaluation of the USAID/Kosovo SME 90 May 2004and Agriculture/Agribusiness ProgramsVolume I